


owari ja nai (this is not the end)

by thunderylee



Category: Nobuta wo Produce
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-23
Updated: 2008-03-23
Packaged: 2019-02-05 13:06:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12795216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderylee/pseuds/thunderylee
Summary: Shuji feels like home and Akira knows that he will continue to feel it no matter where he is.





	owari ja nai (this is not the end)

**Author's Note:**

> reposted from agck.

Thinking back to that day, on the beach with Shuji-kun, he’s never been happier. The memories of his last school year still stay with him to this day, even as he sits at his desk in the same high-rise building he used to look at from Tofu Man’s roof, pouring over paperwork. He doesn’t want to be here, he never did; looking out the window into the great distance, all he wants is to be on the beach in Hokkaido again, twirling around with Shuji-kun without any worries in the world.

Being an adult sucks, Akira thinks. The only reason he’s here is because Papa’s sick. It’s been three years and he’s still stuck here. He was perfectly content as the Tofu Man’s apprentice. He could make tofu until the end of time. He still does, sometimes, on his rare days off. Acting company presidents don’t get vacations.

He misses Shuji and Nobuta. Nobu _ko_ went on to design a chain of accessories and fun jewelry that’s sold everywhere, under the name Nobuta. Akira feels warm every time he sees one of her creations in a store. He contributed to that. If nothing else, he’s at least done _something_ with his life.

Shuji’s around. Akira says that like they’re estranged, when really he’s the one who doesn’t have time for Shuji anymore. Shuji’s going to university and doesn’t really talk much to anyone. It was always Akira who called him, invited him over, initiated the conversation. Since Akira stopped calling, there’s been no Shuji. If it wasn’t for the picture of the three of them on his desk, he’d forget what Shuji’s face looked like.

That makes Akira sad. He thinks that this corporate gig would be a lot easier to swallow if Shuji was here with him, or even just in his life. He wanted to share an apartment with Shuji after school, be best friends _and_ roommates, but Shuji opted to stay at home with his father and Koji. To Akira’s knowledge, he’s still there.

After Akira took over for his father, he moved into a spacious penthouse and insisted on three bedrooms: one for Nobuta, where she stays whenever Akira has enough time for company, and one for Shuji that’s never been inhabited. Akira even has glittery English letters on their doors, although Nobuta argues that there’s two U’s in Shuji’s name and that’s why Shuji’s never been over. Akira added the extra U just in case, kind of rigged above the other letters because he couldn’t fit it in, but it made no difference.

Akira sad. Thinking about beaches and keychains and Shuji-kun makes him long for the past. Akira doesn’t like to be sad, especially at the office where so many people depend on him even though he clearly doesn’t want to be there. He’s starting to think that he keeps himself busy in order to keep the sad thoughts away, and he doesn’t think that can be healthy.

Tomorrow, he thinks to himself as he curls up on the couch in his office that doubles as a bed. Tomorrow he will get things in order and arrange to take a few days. A couple weeks in advance to ensure that Shuji and maybe even Nobuta would be free. He unfastens his tie and pops the first couple buttons on his shirt as he curls up, quickly giving in to exhaustion and dreaming of cold ocean air and flying pigs.

When he wakes up, he thinks he’s still dreaming. Shuji’s kneeling next to him, his face the same but his hair shorter. Akira likes it, thinks it makes him look older. Shuji smiles when he notices Akira’s eyes flutter open and looks a little embarrassed. “You probably want to know what I’m doing here.”

“All I want to know is what time it is,” Akira mumbles, stretching a little and hoping he doesn’t smell too bad.

“It’s early,” Shuji says apologetically. “And I’m here because I went to see your father.”

“My… father?” Akira repeats, not entirely sure he’s really awake.

Shuji nods once, firmly. It looks like it’s taking all of his strength to meet Akira’s eyes. “I went to see him because I wanted to see you. You didn’t even tell me you moved. I had to hear it from Nobuta.”

“I’m sorry, Shuji-kun -” Akira says quickly.

Holding up one hand, Akira falls silent and listens. “I don’t blame you. We had to grow up. We couldn’t be careless teenagers forever.” He sighs. “I remember when my biggest problem was that everyone thought I was a liar.”

“I remember that too.” Akira smiles fondly. “Except that Akira and Nobuta still believed you.”

He can swear Shuji’s cheeks are tinting pink. “Anyway, I went to see your father and he gave me the codes to get in here. Said that he didn’t like it, but he knew that seeing me would make you happy and if you were happy you might be a better leader.”

Akira laughs, almost falling off of the couch in doing so. It feels good to laugh. That’s just like his papa. “I don’t want to be here, Shuji-kun.”

“I know.” Shuji takes Akira’s hand in what might be the first time he’s ever voluntarily touched him. “I wanted to tell you that I’m ready now.”

“Ready for what?” Akira inquires. “Breakfast?”

“Well, yes.” Shuji laughs a little, which makes Akira feel very warm and happy. “But also, I’m ready to move out. Koji’s in high school and my father thinks that they’re holding me back. From what, I’m not sure, but I was hoping your offer was still open.”

“Shuji-kun has his own room at my place,” Akira says, feeling a little embarrassed. “Nobuta says I spelled Shuji’s name wrong, but it’s in English so it doesn’t matter, right?”

“Right,” Shuji says gently. “Can we go now? I want to see.”

Akira struggles to get up, his newfound excitement overwhelming him so much that Shuji has to help. Together they stumble through the building to where Shuji left his bags with the security guard, and Akira almost gasps at the seriousness he feels upon seeing them. This is real.

“Good morning, Shacho,” the guard greets Akira, bowing politely.

Shuji makes a noise that sounds like a giggle, then immediately covers it up. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I never imagined someone would be calling you Shacho.”

“Me neither,” Akira says honestly, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t like it.”

The ride to Akira’s building is silent, neither having much more to say at such an early hour. Akira thinks that he falls asleep on Shuji’s shoulder, but he can’t be sure. He dreams of Shuji’s lips on his forehead, which certainly can’t be true. He thought he’d gotten over that silly crush. Shuji is his best friend now.

“Wake up,” Shuji’s voice whispers against his skin. “We’re home.”

Blinking, Akira looks up and sees Shuji very close to him in the back of the cab, smiling like he knows a big secret and nudging him out of the car. Akira reaches for his wallet but Shuji beats him to it – “You shouldn’t have to pay for everything” – and once on the sidewalk, Shuji almost falls backwards as he looks up the series of floors. “You live here?”

“Top floor is mine,” Akira says nonchalantly. “It was one of Papa’s many bribes.”

The other is a new model sports car in the parking garage, fully loaded and never been driven. Maybe Shuji would want to drive it. Akira doesn’t like to drive very much.

He can’t read Shuji’s face when he sees the letters on his door, nor when he opens it and looks inside. Akira furnished the room completely, with colors and patterns that he thought Shuji would like or that seemed to define him. Shuji gapes at the surroundings and turns to look at Akira with big eyes. “I’ve never had a room to myself before.”

“It’s lonely,” Akira says from experience, lingering in the doorway as he unbuttons his shirt; he and the shower are going to be _such_ good friends as soon as Shuji’s settled in. “I’ve only ever shared a room with you for that short time,” he adds. “It was different.”

Shuji’s not listening, rather watching Akira’s fingers. Akira thinks that it might just be one of those motion sense things, like how moths are attracted to light. Shuji certainly couldn’t be looking at him like _that_ , not with as dirty and unattractive as he feels. He wouldn’t know the first thing about that, anyway. All of the girls he thought were interested in him seemed to have other obligations the minute they found out that he wouldn’t be the company president forever. The other kind of girls don’t even stay until morning. Akira’s gotten used to watching them walk away.

Then Shuji’s lips are pressing against his, and Akira’s mind regresses. He’s seventeen again, twirling around the beach with Shuji in his arms and the cold ocean air surrounding them. He doesn’t have a care in the world, even though he has to go back to the office in a few hours. Shuji feels like home and Akira knows that he will continue to feel it no matter where he is.

Shuji’s room remains uninhabited, but Akira no longer feels sad.


End file.
